Belgium feeds Nakivale refugees
Dec 05, 2010
THE Belgium government has given food and scholastic materials to refugees in Nakivale settlement camp in Isingiro district.
By Fred Turyakira
THE Belgium government has given food and scholastic materials to refugees in Nakivale settlement camp in Isingiro district.
In April, Belgium donated $1.2m (about sh2.8b) for the World Food Programme to buy food and $700,000 (about sh1.6b) for United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to improve the lives of the refugees.
The Belgium ambassador to Uganda, Marc Gedopt, and a team from WFP and UNHCR on Wednesday witnessed how the country’s donations were being used at the camp.
Gedopt also handed over French books to Ruhoko Primary School. They were donated by the French-speaking community of Belgium.
Gedopt applauded the Ugandan Government for hosting refugees from other countries.
Nakivale refugee settlement camp hosts asylum seekers from Rwanda, the DR Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Burundi, Liberia, Kenya and Somalia.
The WFP deputy director, Hakan Tongul, hailed Belgium for the donation.
“We are faced with nearly 100,000 refugees who have no means at all of providing sufficient amounts of food for their families by themselves. While our partners invest in livelihood support needed to wean refugees off food assistance, for the moment, these people need life–saving support, especially children,†he added.
Amos Mwesigye, the WFP head of Mbarara sub-office, said they provide food to refugees on a monthly basis.
They provided 6,773 metric tonnes of food to refugees in both Nakivale and Oruchinga settlements between January and October, he disclosed.
Nielsen Kai, the UNHCR representative, also hailed Belgium’s support to refugees in Nakivale camp. “While unfortunately we have in the past seen food shortages in the Nakivale refugee settlement, we are very happy that WFP has this year been able to supply sufficient quantities of food,†he added.
THE Belgium government has given food and scholastic materials to refugees in Nakivale settlement camp in Isingiro district.
In April, Belgium donated $1.2m (about sh2.8b) for the World Food Programme to buy food and $700,000 (about sh1.6b) for United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to improve the lives of the refugees.
The Belgium ambassador to Uganda, Marc Gedopt, and a team from WFP and UNHCR on Wednesday witnessed how the country’s donations were being used at the camp.
Gedopt also handed over French books to Ruhoko Primary School. They were donated by the French-speaking community of Belgium.
Gedopt applauded the Ugandan Government for hosting refugees from other countries.
Nakivale refugee settlement camp hosts asylum seekers from Rwanda, the DR Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Burundi, Liberia, Kenya and Somalia.
The WFP deputy director, Hakan Tongul, hailed Belgium for the donation.
“We are faced with nearly 100,000 refugees who have no means at all of providing sufficient amounts of food for their families by themselves. While our partners invest in livelihood support needed to wean refugees off food assistance, for the moment, these people need life–saving support, especially children,†he added.
Amos Mwesigye, the WFP head of Mbarara sub-office, said they provide food to refugees on a monthly basis.
They provided 6,773 metric tonnes of food to refugees in both Nakivale and Oruchinga settlements between January and October, he disclosed.
Nielsen Kai, the UNHCR representative, also hailed Belgium’s support to refugees in Nakivale camp. “While unfortunately we have in the past seen food shortages in the Nakivale refugee settlement, we are very happy that WFP has this year been able to supply sufficient quantities of food,†he added.